Fifty-one films chosen: South Dakota Film Festival once again will extend over four days

DAKOTA LIVING

August 21, 2011

After reviewing more than 180 film submissions from around the world, the South Dakota Film Festival selection committee has chosen 51 films as official selections.

Because of the number of submissions, for the second year in a row, another day has been added to the schedule, making it a four-day event.

With a three-and-half-day program, it's really hard to make our final selections, as many good movies have to be left out, said festival producer Tom Black.

The 2011 festival has, once again, seen an increase in film submissions. Films came from 11 countries - including Canada, Australia and Germany - and 32 states. Categories for submission include feature-length narratives, short narratives, feature-length documentaries, short documentaries and animation.

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The festival runs Sept. 15-18 at the Capitol Theatre, 415 S. Main St. Tickets are available online at http://www.southdakotafilmfest.org. Full festival passes are $30; VIP passes, $100; and half price for students.

Films judged by the committee are culled down based on originality, production quality, acting quality, and relevance to our geographic area.

We don't necessarily single out regionally made movies, said another festival producer, Brent Brandt. We just hope to attract as many locally produced films as possible.

Winners receive free passes to the festival and are presented with a certificate and small gift. They also get the distinction of being able to add Official Selection, South Dakota Film Festival to their movie.

The South Dakota Film Festival describes itself as the premiere film festival of South Dakota. Its four-year track record has proven to be a successful model for statewide film festivals, according to a news release. The festival, it says, offers a unique experience for visitors to Aberdeen as well as dozens of filmmakers. In 2010, 32 of the 50 films were represented by their filmmaking teams.

Planning for the 2011 S.D. Film Festival is ongoing. Many invitations are pending for actors, filmmakers and notable cinematographers to attend. The Screen Actors Guild will once again conduct an acting workshop.

Details about the South Dakota Film Festival may be found via Twitter at @SDFilmFest. On Facebook, search South Dakota Film Festival.

The South Dakota Film Festival was founded in Aberdeen in 2007 by Black, Brandt, Troy McQuillen, Jeremy Smith and Jim Walker. Whitley Zephier of Santa Fe, N.M., also assists in coordinating special events and celebrity participation.

The festival is a subsidiary of Capitol Cinema, which operates under Aberdeen Community Theatre's nonprofit status. Major sponsors include Capitol Cinema and the South Dakota Department of Tourism.